Hi all!  I have been searching for some great chocolate frosting recipes, and this is one of the best.  However it is very dark and chocolately, and I would like a milk chocolate version.  I've tried about 4 variations of the original using different amounts of unsweetened chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa butter, with varying results.  I do not like the addition of powdered sugar (totally wrecks the texture).

With the egg yolk and sugar emulsion, it produces a frosting eerily like a canned frosting, with a very silky and smooth mouthfeel (but not buttery).  However, the milk chocolate versions taste a little off, like maybe the egg yolk is coming through more?

Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions for a similar milk chocolate version?  And what kind of frosting would you classify this as, with the egg yolk and sugar combo?  An egg ganache?

Thanks!  -Liz

Recipe from original post below:

Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting
(Found on the Epicurious.com website)

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs yolks
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Mix sugar, yolks, and syrup in small bowl. Bring cream to simmer in heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add both chocolates and stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, then sugar mixture. Cook over low heat until mixture registers 165°F to 170°F on candy thermometer, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour mixture into bowl; do not scrape sides of pan. Add vanilla.

Using electric mixer, beat frosting until cool. Let frosting stand at room temperature until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours.

I forgot to mention that to thicken it up a little bit I added about one cup of Powdered Sugar.

Makes about 4 cups.
Bon Appétit
February 1989


I hope you enjoy it as much as me!!!

Lazy_Susan

This is a French custard buttercream. Egg yolks and sugar and cream make custard when cooked.

To get a milk chocolate icing, you would have to sub milk chocolate for ALL the chocolate. 

I don`t see any cocoa butter--I see regular unsalted butter.  You can add this after the mixture has cooled down to room temperature. That way you can beat it in one tablespoon at a time to get the consistency you prefer.

You need to cut the sugar down to 1 cup because milk chocolate has a lot more sugar than unsweetened...but don;t skip it as the sugar contributes to the texture.

To make a firmer icing,  add 3 tablespoons corn starch to the dry sugar before you mix in yolks. Pour the hot mixture into the bowl through a fine sieve.

Another option is to use 6 ounces white chocolate and 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, the combo will give you a light chocolate tone.

Thanks BakingIrene!  I tried adding all milk chocolate (9 oz) - it was too soft.  I thought the milk chocolate didn't have enough cocoa solids, so I added a bit of cocoa butter to the next batch - it was slightly better, but had a chocolate marshmallow/meringue consistency.

Because milk chocolate is probably only 25 to 35 percent cocoa mass, I thought maybe I need to add significantly more milk chocolate when removing the unsweetened and semisweet chocolate.  Do you think this would affect the final consistency?

I haven't thought of adding cornstarch - I will try that next.  Thank you so much for your suggestions!

Liz

I would just do the cornstarch.  Adjust taste/consistency with a little extra melted semisweet chocolate at the end but that is easy enough.

This recipe works because of the cream cooked with egg yolks.  It can carry quite a wide variety of fat content with the cornstarch.  It can also carry a wide range of sugar content which is what the milk chocolate primarily adds.

You can also cook this the other way. This is the way I make this icing:  Make the custard with cream, sugar, yolks, and 6 tablespoons cornstarch.  It will be a firmish consistency. Cool completely.  Cream the butter and add the cooled custard gradually.  Then add  cooled melted semisweet chocolate to taste.  You will see that you can control the final taste and the consistency remains constant.  Not the same recipe?  but it will taste the way you want it to...

Thank you BakingIrene - I will try the cornstarch version tomorrow.  I appreciate your assistance. :)

Liz
 

BakingIrene -
 

I've added the cornstarch (6T) to my six egg yolks, 1.5 c cream, 1.5 c. sugar.  I only let it come to 170 degrees f.  Should I have let it come to a boil for a full minute before cooling?  I can taste the texture of cornstarch in the custard at this point.  If I need to let it boil, I think I could just put it back on the heat again.  I have not creamed the butter yet or melted the chocolate.

Thank you, and I hope you are on the forum today!

Liz

I'll update my own post.  I scrapped the version above, because I couldn't get the cornstarch taste cooked out.  Maybe I had the wrong ratio of cornstarch, sugar and egg yolks.  I made the Laduree pastry cream recipe (using cornstarch) for my custard, measured out 1 cup of it, whipped with 1/2 c. of butter, then added 8 oz melted, cooled milk chocolate.  Turned out lovely, but very "soft".  Same result as my first attempt at replacing the chocolate in the original recipe.  Not sure how it would hold up between layers (seems very delicate).  But still, very delicious.

Irene, thank you for the assistance!  I will try to tweak this recipe further using your cornstarch method. :)

Liz
 

Chill your "soft" results competely.  It should firm up well with all that fat in it.  Then  whiz the cold icing in a food processor for 20 seconds. It will firm up again after you spread it and stack the layers, have no fear. 

I cook the custard part with egg in over low direct heat until I get a few boil bubbles (15 seconds, not a minute, at boiling).  I stir constantly to prevent sticking.  Have never had it mess up, cannot taste the starch. 

Thank you Irene, I've got it in the fridge now, and it has set up nicely.  I'll test it tomorrow on a cake.  Hope the rest of your weekend is nice!

Liz